Elder Fraud in Hawaii

The Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint against $868,247 in Tether cryptocurrency that was allegedly stolen through investment scams operated by the LME Crypto Group, which impersonated the London Metal Exchange and defrauded at least four victims across DC, Texas, Illinois, and Florida between September 2022 and February 2025. The scheme involved criminals establishing trust through misdirected text messages, then directing victims to fake investment platforms that displayed false profits before locking victims out of their accounts and stealing their funds, with one victim losing $1.3 million and another losing $30,000. The FBI recovered and is forfeiting the laundered cryptocurrency funds that were transferred through

Andrea Estell Cochran, a 51-year-old from Houston, was arrested and charged with federal bank fraud after using forged passports to impersonate account holders and withdraw approximately $11,000 from multiple banks across Washington state and Maine in 2024. She faces up to 30 years in federal prison plus additional state charges, with a plea deal hearing scheduled for August 28, 2025. A separate study by VPNPro found that seniors aged 60 and older across all U.S. states lost significant sums to fraud in 2022, with losses ranging from approximately $3 million to $31 million per state, highlighting the widesprea

Andrea Estell Cochran, a 51-year-old from Houston, was arrested and charged with federal bank fraud after using fake passports to impersonate account holders and withdraw approximately $11,000 from multiple Washington state banks in 2024, with similar attempts in Maine; she faces up to 30 years in prison and state charges across multiple Washington counties. Additionally, a VPNPro study reveals that seniors aged 60 and over across all U.S. states lost substantial sums to fraud in 2022, with per-victim losses ranging from $13,118 to $30,150 depending on the state, highlighting seniors as prime targets for scammers

Financial fraud in Oregon resulted in an estimated $201 million in reported losses and $1.2 billion in unreported losses in 2025, with the FBI and FTC reporting significant increases in fraud cases nationwide. The state's economy faces a projected $3.9 billion reduction in GDP, $2.6 billion reduction in personal income, and approximately 15,000 job losses due to all financial fraud (reported and unreported). Oregon ranks 26th-28th among states for cyber-enabled crime losses and elder fraud complaints, with fraud cases up 3,336 since 2022 and total losses up 285% since 2020.

The Hawaii Police Department is warning the public about a phone scam where callers impersonate police officers using real department personnel names, falsely claiming victims owe money for missed court appearances or warrants and pressuring them to pay via untraceable methods like gift cards. Scammers use caller ID spoofing and fraudulent documents to appear legitimate, but the department emphasizes it never requests phone payments or gift cards. Residents should verify caller identity independently, avoid sharing personal information, be suspicious of urgent threats, and report suspected scams to police or the Federal Trade Commission.

"Quishing" attacks—phishing scams using QR codes instead of emails or texts—have surged, with malicious QR codes tricking over 26 million people into visiting fraudulent websites designed to steal personal and financial data or install malware. Cybercriminals are placing fake QR codes on payment terminals, parking meters, packages, and other public surfaces, exploiting the fact that 73% of Americans scan codes without verifying their source. To protect yourself, verify the legitimacy of QR code sources before scanning and consider using personal data removal services to prevent scammers from accessing your information.

QR codes, once harmless novelties, have become targets for "quishing" scams where criminals place fake QR code stickers on parking meters, utility bills, and other public places to redirect users to malicious websites that steal personal information or download malware. The Federal Trade Commission and state agencies have issued warnings as 26% of malicious links are now sent via QR code, with over 26 million Americans already directed to fraudulent sites, and researchers note the scam is rising as traditional phishing safeguards improve. Security experts are developing solutions like authenticated QR codes and advise users to verify QR codes before scanning, particularly on unexpected packages or urgent-seeming

QR codes, once harmless novelties, have become targets for scammers in a fraud scheme called "quishing," where malicious QR codes redirect users to phishing websites that steal personal information or download malware. The Federal Trade Commission and state agencies have warned about fake QR codes appearing on parking meters, utility bills, and packages, with studies showing 73% of Americans scan QR codes without verification and over 26 million have been directed to malicious sites. As traditional email phishing becomes harder, cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting QR codes—now accounting for 26% of all malicious links—making this scam expected to rise further.

The Maui Police Department warned the public about a text message scam claiming unauthorized charges on victims' accounts, which directs them to call a number where scammers pose as legitimate representatives and convince victims they are targets of identity theft. The scammers pressure victims to withdraw large sums of money and convert it to cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, while falsely claiming the matter should not be reported to law enforcement. Police advise that legitimate financial institutions never request cryptocurrency transfers, victims should never be told to hide fraud from law enforcement, and suspicious messages should be ignored in favor of contacting banks directly with verified contact information.

The Honolulu Police Department warned of a fake arrest scam in which fraudsters impersonated attorneys and demanded bail money for purportedly arrested relatives. One resident nearly lost $8,000 after being told her son was arrested in a car crash, but bank staff identified the call as suspicious and the victim confirmed her son was safe. Police advised that bail payments are only accepted at police stations, and urged residents to ignore calls from unknown numbers and never share personal information or send money to unfamiliar callers.

Parents of victims from devastating Texas floods were targeted by scammers, according to officials who disclosed the scheme to CNN's Audie Cornish and Houston Chronicle Senior Columnist Lisa Falkenberg. The article describes how scammers exploited the tragedy and vulnerability of grieving families in the aftermath of the disaster.

This article is a general news roundup from Spectrum News Hawaii covering multiple unrelated stories from the week, including Rams rookies helping rebuild homes in Lahaina following the 2023 wildfires, an unannounced emergency alert test sent to Hawaii residents, a restaurant closure due to health violations, and a brush fire update. None of these stories involve elder fraud, scams, or elder abuse, so this content is not relevant to the Elderus database.

On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15), the FBI Honolulu warned about elder fraud targeting seniors through investment scams, technical support schemes, romance scams, and money mule operations, noting that victims lost $4.885 billion across 14,127 complaints nationally in 2024—a 46% increase from 2023—with Hawaii alone losing $18.9 million, of which $9.8 million came from investment scams. Criminals target seniors because they perceive them as polite, trusting, financially stable, and less likely to report fraud, which is why the FBI recommends verifying unknown contacts, resisting pressure to act quickly,

During Medicare Fraud Prevention Week, Hawaii advocates warned seniors about rising scam threats, noting that kupuna lost over $52 million to internet scams in 2023. The Senior Medicare Patrol highlighted that imposter scams and identity theft are the most common fraud types targeting Hawaii residents, with particular concern as the state's aging population continues to grow.

The Hawaii State Judiciary warned the public about a text message scam impersonating the DMV, which threatened suspension of driving privileges and vehicle registration unless payment for unpaid traffic citations was made. Officials clarified that legitimate DMV and court communications about unpaid citations only occur through U.S. mail, not via text, phone, or email.